2d. Digital Citizen | Math | Grades 6-12
To analyze the websites that collect the most data about themselves, students use AT&T’s Data Calculator tool to approximate the areas where they are most active online. Next, students share their results and partner with other students who have similar approximations regarding the areas where they are most active. Together, the students then calculate how much data they use each day, month, week, month, and year. At this point, students identify the websites they most frequently use in relation to their approximations about their data usage from the calculator. For example, if students are very active posting to social media, they would identify the social media platforms (e.g., Instagram, Tik Tok, etc.) they use most often. Or, if they spend time streaming videos, they would identify the platforms that host videos (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo, etc.) they use most often. Teachers can then have students analyze the privacy policies of the websites and platforms students identified as using most often. In addition, teachers can decide the number of websites and platforms students must analyze. For example, teachers can have students analyze two websites or platforms for their top three ways they use data, according to the calculator, or they can analyze one website or platform for the top five ways they use data. When examining the privacy policies, teachers can have students respond to:
- What type(s) of data does the website or platform collect from you?
- How much data does the website or platform collect from you each month?
- What options do you have for minimizing or increasing the amount of data collected about you by the website or platform?
- Based on the calculator, how much data will you use each month and which cellular provider (e.g., AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, etc.) would offer you the best options for the least amount of money? What are the terms and conditions of those offers? What is the cost for the plan that best meets your data usage?
- Once students have completed #4, teachers can have them translate that information into an equation.
To share their responses, each pair of students can create an infographic or presentation with the pertinent information. They can then post their work to a class website, and then the pairs of students can meet and share their findings, with an emphasis on explaining how they created the equation from #4. Once finished, teachers can use the prompts to facilitate a full class conversation.
EdTech Resources for Self-Analysis of Data Usage
EdTech Resources for Reporting Information
Student Objective
Instructions
Justification
This instructional idea requires students to analyze their habits to determine the types of data they used and the personal data they share with the websites and platforms they use. This self-analysis builds their awareness about their personal data, and they can use that information to make decisions regarding the types of websites and platforms they used, based on data collection.